Matter Os Survival
Hospital Seeks Regional Role
A movement is afoot to make
Chowan Hospital a true regional
facility which, according to its
board chairman, is the only
guarantee of survival.
The efforts have the backing of
Chowan County commissioners <
who Monday named the first non
resident to the hospital board. He i
PAPER GAME “Checkerboard” was the key word at 9:21
A.M. Tuesday as Chowan County participated in the largest civil
preparedness exercise since 1968. Murray Ashley seated, CP
director here, is shown with Capt. James Brabble of the U.S.
Army Reserve at a briefing just after the war games on paper
became operational.
Public Parade
Another First
Judge Ralph A. Walker of
Greensboro is meandering
along the Public Parade this week
during a criminal term of Chowan
County Superior Court. He com
mented to prospective jurors Tues
day morning that this is one of
Ids favorite places to hold court,
yefWelfigtdrtcTaeifify leaved a lot *
to be desired.
Judge Walker, an avid out
doorsman, stopped short of ad
mitting that Hayes Plantation is
one of the favorite spots to bird
hunt. We have learned on good
authority that the jurist obtained
lodging for his dogs before finding
a room for himself.
Unfortunaately, Asst. Dist. Atty.
Keith Teague has kept the court
busy well past sundown and it
hasn’t been fitting weather to hunt
anyway.
Judge Walker’s trip, however,
gained him a first. Wednesday
morning a female defendant was
tried for willful speed competition.
The amiable jurist said it was the
first case to his knowledge where
women were involved in some sort
of speed competition.
“I realize, though, women are
doing a lot of things traditionally
left up to us men,” he quipped.
Sheriff Thompson
Wallace Leslie Thompson was
bom in Chowan County 87 years
ago. He died in Elizabeth City
Friday.
j; He didn’t meander along the
Public Parade long before moving
to Elizabeth City, where he spent a
lifetime seeking solutions rather
than adding to problems. He was
buried there Sunday afternoon and
thus departed a sage of the Isle of
Pasquotank.
In 1932 he became a county
commissioner in his adopted land,
serving for six years. He was
appointed sheriff in 1939 and
served continuously until his
retirement in 1962.
Sheriff Thompson was the
widower of Minnie Markham
Thompson. He was a devoted
husband. The Thompsons bad four
children, two of which we number
in our closest circle of friends.
R.M. (JPete) Thompson returned
to his father’s birthplace several
yealv ago as bounty extension
IfcbairmaQ. W.F. (Mickey)
remains in Elizabeth
Continued on Paged
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Chowan River Report At Public Meeting
is Lester Simpson, chairman,
Perquimans County com
missioners.
Also, it was suggested by
Commissioner Lester Copeland
that a name change for the facility
may be in the immediate future.
J.Gilliam Wood, who is rotating
off the board and as chairman,
Planned ‘Attack’
Checks Readiness
Don’t panic. But on the morning
of November 17th, a major land
war erupted in the heart of
Europe, and Tuesday there was an
all out nuclear exchange between
the United States and the U.S.S.R.
No, this is not a preview of Irwin
Allen’s next disaster movie, nor is
it the result of some psychic’s
glimpse into a gloomy crystal ball.
the nuclear attack —a mode
emergency, of course is simply
the scenario for a civil defense
exercise to be conducted by the
Region 111 headquarters of the
Defense Civil Preparedness
Agency (DCPA).
Involving 84 North Carolina
counties and seven other states,
this is the largest exercise since
1968, both in terms of the number
of agencies participating and in
the types of activities to be per
formed.
Murray Ashley, CP director in
Chowan County, started Monday
to ‘ 1 increase readiness ’ ’ in response
to communications from
headquarters in Raleigh. Heads of
government were briefed, the
local emrrgency plan was
reviewed and there was a moderate
increase in public information.
But when “Checkerboard” was
sounded at 9:21 A.M. Tuesday
things really began to happend at
the CP office in Chowan County
Continued on Page 4
Referendum Set
A peanut referendum dealing
with continuation of the $1 per ton
assessment for the ufriod 1979-
1984 will be held December 14.
Balloting will be from 8 A.M. to 5
P.M. /
H.O. West, executive director of
the Chowan County ASC, said
ballots may be cast at Byrum’s
Service Cento-, Earl Smith’s Store,
MAR Servicenter and the ASCS
office on East King Street.
All farmers owners, tenants,
and sharecroppers who were
engaged in the production of
peanuts on a commerical basis
during the year 1978 will be
elijgble to vote in the referendum.
Funds derived from the
assessment will go to promote all
phases of production, marketing
and use of peanuts.
The N_ C. Peanut Growers
Association reports that the value
of the crop in this state has in
creasedfroms29.3-iJiillk»nin 1963t0
W.lHnfflkm in 1978.
and Smiley Weatherford, hospital
director, reported to com
missioners that immediate steps
are being taken toward bed ex
pansion and upgrading of
equipment.
Wood and Weatherford
presented a report on 1978
operations which showed a
$293,976 profit as compared to a
loss of $69,778 in 1977. Also, oc
cupancy was reported to be in
excess of 91 per cent.
Wood said the hospital is entering
into a phase to take on regional
appearance. Commissioner Alton
G. Elmore agreed.
The chairman expressed con
cern about what is happening in the
health care field, especially in
Eastern North Carolina where
there is a threat by Pitt Memorial
Hospital to obtain additional beds.
He said our area has two medical
groups and both are talking about
expanding, and this will justify
additional beds.
“Edenton and our hospital is on
its way to being a regional hospital
and it has to come if we are to
survive,” Wood added.
He and Weatherford are
meeting today (Thursday) with
Roy Selby, director of Eastern
Health Systems Agency, to obtain
guidance about bed expansion
here. Also, a long-range planning
study began this week and the out
of-state firm conducting it has
been asked to first address the
question of expansion.
The chairman commended
Weatherford for the “very out
standing job” he has done in the
past 15 months. The director
responded that it was a total team
effort. “We are extremely for
tunate to have the people we have
in this area to work with,”
Weatherford added.
The director said there is a
definite need for additional
hospital beds, but stressed that a
determination must be made
concerning the role of the hospital,
not just beds.
Acknowledging the deed for
additional equipment, he said it is
extremely expendive and the key
Continued on Page 4
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SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS—Dr. J.H. Horton, right, and
Cecil W. Fry, Sr., were sworn in Monday as members of the
Edenton-Chowan Board of Education. Administering the oaths is
Mrs. Lena M. Leary, clerk of court. Dr. Horton is beginning his
final consecutive term on the board while Fry, a former school
administrator, begins his first term.
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COMMISSIONERS TAKE OATHS—Mrs. Lena M. Leary, clerk
of court, administered the oath of office to three county com
missioners Monday morning. Left to right are: George Jones,
JD. Peele and CA. Phillips. Peele and Phillips were incumbents
starting a new four-year term.
--'-' : ‘ i .
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON BEGINS—The Christmas
shopping season in Edenton and Chowan County was ushered in
Friday afternoon. And traditionally, Santa Claus made his first
official appearance as the last unit in a colorful parade. Among
the new entries was the mascot of the John A. Holmes High
School Band, pictured at right. He made his first appearance at
the Peanut Festival in October and predictions are that he will be
around for a long time. (Photos by Allan Asbell).
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XLIV—No. 48
Board Os Education Finalizes Plans
Edenton-Chowan of Education
took the final legal step towards
consolidation with Monday night’s
resolution to establish a com
prehensive high school in Edenton
to serve the entire county.
The seven-member board’s vote
was unamimous on a motion
by Mrs. Emily G. Amburn. There
was no discussion of the resolution
read by Dr. John Dunn,
. superintendent.
The board has moved steadily
towards consolidation of the high
schools and general
reorganization since merger of the
administrative units in Edenton
and the county a number of years
ago. The latest plan was approved
in May, 1978, and a bond
referendum called to support
construction of a new high school
outside Edenton.
When the referendum was
soundly defeated, a committee
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, December 7,1978
was formed to make recom
mendations for consolidation and
reorganization within existing
facilities. This plan, with a price
tag of $150,000, is to be im
plemented in the fall of 1979.
Dr. Dunn said after adoption of
the resolution that he would begin
immediately to establish com
mittees to work toward combining
faculties and to form curriculums.
This was in response to
questions posed by Gil Burroughs
of the Holmes faculty about in
volvement of faculty in the
decision-making process.
Chairman Eugene Jordan opted
for an early meeting with Chowan
County commissioners to discuss
financing of the consolidation
plan. “We have been delayed up to
this point and we’ll request a
meeting as soon as possible,” he
Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of
Albemarle Area Development
Association will be held December
18 at Angler’s Cove Restaurant in
Perquimans County, according to
Wayne Ashley, president.
Ashley said the event will begin
at 6:30 P.M. with a social and a
banquet to follow at 7 o’clock.
Rep. Sam Bundy of Farmville
will be the guest speaker. Rep.
Bundy is a former educator who is
widely acclaimed as an after
dinner speaker.
Community Development
Awards as well as Industrial
Awards in the 10-county area will
be presented. New officers will be
installed.
Tickets for the banquet may be
obtained through the Agricultural
Extension Offices in the various
counties. They are $7 per ticket.
Barringer Fund Goal Set
Edenton United Methodist
Church has set a SIO,OOO goal for
the Kitty Evans Barringer Fund.
A special committee, headed by
Mrs. Frances Hollowell, is making
plans for a Radio-Thon on
December 21 over WCDJ to secure
the funds.
Mrs. Barringer, a member of
the church, was critically injured
in an automobile accident on
October 1. She is making steady
improvement at Pitt Memorial
Hospital in Greenville and is
expected to be allowed to come
home for a few days over the
Christmas holidays.
Rev. Richard R. Blankenhom,
pastor of the local church, said a
well organized campaign is being
waged to assist the family in
mounting hospital and doctors bills.
The charges now exceed $20,000.
The Radio-Thon will consume the
entire day’s activities at WCDJ,
according to Terry Jones who
Monday At The Courthouse
7 P.M.
/f
Single Copies 15 Cents
said.
The resolution stated that the
local board, in cooperation with
the state board, had “in mind
Continued on Page 4
New Physician
To Serve Area
In a major effort toward
alleviating the physician shortage
in several counties of Nor
theastern North Carolina, today
the Albemarle Family Health
Services and the Northeastern
Rural Health Development
Association in cooperation with
the U.S. Public Health services
announce that Dr. George
Knowles will be moving to the
area in the near future with his
family.
Dr. Knowles is a board certified
internist with speciality training
in pulmonary diseases, diabetes,
anemias, and endocrine diseases.
Dr. Clement Lucas and Dr
Richard Hines of the Albemarle
Continued on Page 4
w
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M k /
Dr. George Knowles
just recently completed a highly
successful benefit. It will begin at
6 A.M. and continue until 5 P.M.
Mrs. Hollowell said collection
stations are being established at
Center Hill-Crossroads Volunteer
Fire Department, M&R Ser
vicenter, Toppin’s Self Service,
W.E. Smith’s Store, Lee’s
Grocery, A&P, Winn-Dixie, Big
Value Drug, P&Q, Bank of North
Carolina, and Hollowell & Blount
Serving on her committe are:
L.F. Amburn, Jr., Mr. and Mrs.
John R. Smith, Sidney Albritton,
Mrs. Charlotte Waller, Mrs. C.B.
Smith. Jill Stutzman, Susan
Downum, Martha Harless and
Mrs. Blankenhom.
The Kitty Evans Barringer
Fund was established several
weeks ago to accept contributions
from throughout the area on be
half of the accident victim. Max
S. Busby, Sheriff Troy Toppin and
Amburn are trustees of the fund.